UK tick risks shift as Lyme and babesiosis concerns evolve

The threat from ticks and tick-borne diseases is changing in the UK, with implications for both companion animal practice and public health. Recent UK surveillance and expert commentary point to a broader and more dynamic risk picture: Ixodes ricinus remains the country’s most common tick and the main vector for Lyme disease, while Dermacentor reticulatus continues to matter because of its role in transmitting Babesia canis to dogs. UKHSA’s latest Tick Surveillance Scheme analyses for 2021 to 2024 say I. ricinus remains the dominant species in the UK, and government summaries link the expansion of native tick species, including D. reticulatus, to climate, land use, host availability, and travel patterns. Meanwhile, UKHSA reported 1,581 laboratory-confirmed human Lyme disease cases in 2024, underscoring the wider One Health relevance of changing tick exposure. (researchportal.ukhsa.gov.uk)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the shift is from thinking about tick-borne disease as mainly seasonal, travel-associated, or geographically narrow, to treating it as a more routine differential in the right clinical context. The evidence around canine babesiosis in Essex helped establish that B. canis can be acquired in the UK without travel history, after investigators identified infected D. reticulatus ticks in the same area as affected dogs. Government guidance for imported diseases in dogs and cats now notes that ongoing cases continue to be found in dogs without travel history. That means practices need strong tick prevention messaging for pet parents, awareness of local tick ecology, and low thresholds for considering diagnostics such as blood smear review and PCR when dogs present with compatible signs like fever, anaemia, lethargy, thrombocytopenia, or haemolysis. (researchportal.ukhsa.gov.uk)

What to watch: Expect continued emphasis on surveillance, including tick submissions from veterinary teams and the public, alongside closer attention to whether established tick ranges and locally acquired canine babesiosis continue to widen. (gov.uk)